Event
Sikorsky X2 Demonstrator Talk
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
5:00 p.m.
Glen L. Martin Hall 1202 (EGR 1202)
Erika Aparakakankanange
301 405 3457
eaparaka@umd.edu
"Creating Sustainable Value Through Innovation" with Steve Weiner,Director of engineering sciences and Kevin Bredenbeck, Director of test & evaluation and chief test pilot for the X2 Technology demonstrator program at Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation. They will discuss how innovation led Sikorsky to develop a program that will help helicopters reach record-breaking speeds.
The Sikorsky X2 is a single engine coaxial helicopter with a pusher propeller. The project was funded exclusively by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation and completed from concept to completion of all goals between 2005 and 2010. The bulk of flight test was executed in 2010 to include unofficially breaking the helicopter level flight speed record by over 15% (was 217 KTAS, X2-251 KTAS). The rotor is extremely stiff with the preponderance of lift produced on the advancing half of the rotor disks to eliminate retreating blade stall as a limitation to,legacy helicopter, forward speed boundaries. This presentation will discuss the flight test effort and process employed to safely achieve all the program goals on this unique air vehicle without any wind tunnel data. Flight test discoveries included understanding air flow of the rotor over the vertical and horizontal tails, rotor pitching moments,rotor phasing, aircraft vibratory environment, and basic aircraft stability including stability system optimization.
Read more about the X2 talk here.
